Bob La Londe
Aluminum
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2012
- Location
- Yuma
First off. COOL!!! I still remember my password and my account still works.
** Tools Behind the Lathe **
It kind of makes me nervous to reach across the lathe to grab a tool, but I've seen a number of shop layouts like this where all their tool holders are on a bracket or a shelf on the wall behind they lathe. Sure its not bad if you make 100% sure to stop the lathe every single time, but its really easy to get into a project and just swap tools on the QCTP without shutting down the spindle. Especially when you are doing a semi production part where time is money, or you know the process you are doing and you are trying to make proficient use of your time.
I have a fairly small machine room and for now the wall behind my lathes are bare. The small 8.5x18 rest on a tool chest with all of its tools inside the drawers. It even has a few empty drawers for future tools, storage of extra measuring, tools, parts etc.
The larger 14x40 sits on its own stand with a tool cart pushed back along the head stock. When I am using the 1440 I pull the tool cart out next to me so I can reach to the left and grab most tools I might need. Its fine if I am just standing in that one spot, but often I am bouncing around between machines and the assembly bench. Then the cart is in the way having to be pushed back and pulled out constantly. As a result I often find tools accumulating on top of the headstock of the lathe. If I could eliminate the cart the machine room would have much better flow. Even if I wasn't annoyed with myself about tools accumulating on the head stock it wouldn't hold all the tools I might need for a project.
The answer some home shop machinist have come up with is to utilize the wall behind the lathe for tool racks, pegboard for misc tools and even cabinets. Like I said. The wall behind my two lathes in the machine room is blank, but I do have to admit that when I was using the bench lathes on benches out on the main shop floor there were pegboards full of misc tools and storage compartments behind them. I never did have an accident from reaching across the lathe. If I did you might be calling me stumpy. LOL. However, I did not put the main lathe tools on the pegboard. They were usually laying all over the bench next to the lathe. I wasn't reaching across the lathe to get a lathe tool usually.
I am curious what other folks think about utilizing that wall space. Do you think its dangerous.
This video of this guys shop shows what I am talking about.
This week in Herb's Workshop #4 - YouTube
I do now work full time machining projects within a limited field, but I am also still (and intend to remain so) a one man small home shop machinist. Perhaps it makes a difference whether or not its a one man operation or a machine that's intended to be used by several different people in the course of a day.
** Tools Behind the Lathe **
It kind of makes me nervous to reach across the lathe to grab a tool, but I've seen a number of shop layouts like this where all their tool holders are on a bracket or a shelf on the wall behind they lathe. Sure its not bad if you make 100% sure to stop the lathe every single time, but its really easy to get into a project and just swap tools on the QCTP without shutting down the spindle. Especially when you are doing a semi production part where time is money, or you know the process you are doing and you are trying to make proficient use of your time.
I have a fairly small machine room and for now the wall behind my lathes are bare. The small 8.5x18 rest on a tool chest with all of its tools inside the drawers. It even has a few empty drawers for future tools, storage of extra measuring, tools, parts etc.
The larger 14x40 sits on its own stand with a tool cart pushed back along the head stock. When I am using the 1440 I pull the tool cart out next to me so I can reach to the left and grab most tools I might need. Its fine if I am just standing in that one spot, but often I am bouncing around between machines and the assembly bench. Then the cart is in the way having to be pushed back and pulled out constantly. As a result I often find tools accumulating on top of the headstock of the lathe. If I could eliminate the cart the machine room would have much better flow. Even if I wasn't annoyed with myself about tools accumulating on the head stock it wouldn't hold all the tools I might need for a project.
The answer some home shop machinist have come up with is to utilize the wall behind the lathe for tool racks, pegboard for misc tools and even cabinets. Like I said. The wall behind my two lathes in the machine room is blank, but I do have to admit that when I was using the bench lathes on benches out on the main shop floor there were pegboards full of misc tools and storage compartments behind them. I never did have an accident from reaching across the lathe. If I did you might be calling me stumpy. LOL. However, I did not put the main lathe tools on the pegboard. They were usually laying all over the bench next to the lathe. I wasn't reaching across the lathe to get a lathe tool usually.
I am curious what other folks think about utilizing that wall space. Do you think its dangerous.
This video of this guys shop shows what I am talking about.
This week in Herb's Workshop #4 - YouTube
I do now work full time machining projects within a limited field, but I am also still (and intend to remain so) a one man small home shop machinist. Perhaps it makes a difference whether or not its a one man operation or a machine that's intended to be used by several different people in the course of a day.
